Physicians are always in demand. Their knowledge and expertise is necessary in practically every area of the world, and there even appears to be a shortage of them on the market. It is predicted that the shortage will be even more serious by 2030, which is why locum tenens will become an even more critical part of the healthcare industry. Naturally, they are a critical part now as well, and if you’re not sure what locum really is, this should clarify it for you.
Locum tenens physicians are something like freelance doctors, so to speak. They hold a temporary position at a certain hospital or a medical office, and they don’t have a specific job with one particular medical institution exclusively. They can turn down and offered positions and go for those that they prefer due to location and the conditions in general. The term “locum tenens” translates as a substitute, or a stand-in, and it is estimated that around 50-80% of doctors in hospitals work locum tenens.
Why Work Locum Tenens
Grabbing the opportunity to work locum tenens could be quite amazing for you as a doctor. The truth is, though, you may not be sure if that’s such a good idea as it seems at first. If you’ve never done this before, you don’t know what it is that’s in it for you, i.e. what the benefits of this type of work are, meaning that you don’t know if you should do it. It’s understandable to be on the fence about this and unable to decide before getting all the facts, so I’m now going to give you the facts to help you check why this could be a good thing for you.
First things first, you get to set your own schedule as a doctor. You can choose not only the jobs you want and don’t want, but also the shifts that are more convenient for you. This kind of flexibility is definitely a huge deal for people who’d like to free up their time a little bit, while still working good hours and thus earning good money.
Read more on what a locum doctor is: https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-a-locum-doctor.htm
Speaking of earning good money, I suppose you’re interested in learning how that would go if you decided to become this type of a freelance doctor, so to say it. The earning potential is quite high for full-time locum doctors, and you could wind up earning more than salaried doctors, especially if you have nothing against working on weekends. So, you get the flexibility we’ve talked about above, but you don’t compromise your salary on its behalf.
If you decide to do this part-time, you’ll still have great earning opportunities. In addition to the stable income as a salaried doctor, you’ll get to earn extra by working locum tenens, i.e. being a freelance doctor. This is a great option for all those who want to pay off their student, or other, debts rather sooner than later, because picking up a few extra gigs could dramatically increase your income in a short period of time.
Apart from the above, working locum tenens could have you traveling across the entire country, or even worldwide if that’s what you prefer. Of course, you get to decide where you want to go and which locations you want to pass on, which is another great benefit. The traveling part will also help you grow both professionally and personally, as you could learn a lot by working in new places and meeting all kinds of people.
How To Choose Companies
If you’d like to work locum tenens, you’ll have to cooperate with companies, i.e. agencies that specialize in providing doctors with such opportunities. Naturally, you will want to work with a great agency, because you don’t want to simply get your name in their register and then never get a call for an opportunity like this. Thus, taking your time to select the perfect locum tenens company is imperative, meaning that you shouldn’t rush into it, no matter how eager you may be to start freelancing as soon as possible.
Vet your options before making this choice. Check how long those agencies you’re considering have been in this particular line of business, have a look at the positions they have open at the moment of your research, as well as how often new jobs are being added. Do interviews to evaluate their expertise and to check if they have enough experience working with doctors in your specific discipline. Don’t commit on an instinct. Choose wisely instead.
Committing to the perfect firm will have you getting great job opportunities and offers on a regular basis. Naturally, you’ll have to clearly state your needs and requirements during interviews, as that will help the companies filter out any opportunities that you wouldn’t like. Clear communication from the very beginning will make this cooperation successful.
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